


The One With the Cereal Avalanche

by mikkimouse



Series: Once In A Blue Moon Prompt Fills [14]
Category: Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: M/M, Single Parent Stiles Stilinski
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-02-20
Updated: 2017-02-20
Packaged: 2018-09-25 18:44:44
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 838
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9838610
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mikkimouse/pseuds/mikkimouse
Summary: For the prompt: "I was reaching for the cereal on the highest shelf but i'm not tall enough so I accidentally knocked the whole shelf down and you came to my rescue and wow you're really cute''





	

**Author's Note:**

> Originally posted to Tumblr [here](https://mad-madam-m.tumblr.com/post/129042414520/hi-sterek-i-was-reaching-for-the-cereal-on-the).

Stiles knew exactly what it was the moment he heard the racket coming from the cereal aisle, followed by a familiar scream. He abandoned his cart and bolted.  


Sure enough, Cody was standing in the middle of a few dozen cereal boxes, holding a box in each fist and bawling his eyes out.  


What Stiles did _not_ expect was the dark-haired, leather-clad, bearded guy squatting beside him and talking softly, helping Cody’s screams calm down to hiccups.  


Thank God, that mean nothing was probably broken. Stiles skidded his way through the busted cereal boxes so he could crouch by his son. “Hey, bud, you okay?”  


Cody let go of the cereal and flung his arms around Stiles’s neck with a wail of “ _Daaaaaaddyyyyyyyyy.”_

Stiles rubbed his back, surreptitiously checking Cody for any injuries, and tried to apologize via eyebrows to the stranger who–wow, he was _really_ hot–was watching him with an expression halfway between concern and panic.  


“What happened, bud?” Stiles asked, but Cody’s answer was lost in hiccups and sobs.  


“He climbed up the shelves,” the stranger said. “I was picking up some coffee and turned around just in time to see him fall. I caught him before he hit the ground, though.” He looked around them. “Didn’t manage to save any of the cereal.”  


Stiles went weak with relief. “So he didn’t hit the ground?”  


The guy shook his head. “No. I set him down when he started screaming.”

“Thank _God_.” Stiles adjusted his grip on Cody so he could hug him a little tighter. “I told him to go grab a box of cereal, and normally he gets Cinnamon Toast Crunch. I didn’t think for a minute he’d _climb_ anything. Fu-udge crackle, you must think I’m a terrible dad.”  


The guy’s green-yellow eyes crinkled with warmth. “Fudge crackle?”  


Stiles gestured to Cody, who still had a death grip around his neck. “Hey, I have to improvise.”  


“No, I get it.” The guy grinned. “You should hear my sister around her two kids. I’m pretty sure they think ‘seabiscuit’ is a curse word.”  


_Wow,_ this guy’s grin was like taking a fist to the stomach. Stiles felt a little light-headed, and he was pretty sure it wasn’t because Cody was steadily choking off his airway. “Seabiscuit. I’ll remember that one.” He stood up and shifted Cody’s weight to his hip so he could hold out his hand. “Thank you so much, Mr…?”  


“Derek.” The guy shook his hand. “Well, Hale. Derek Hale.”  


That…was a very nice handshake. Oh man. Stiles was not having dirty thoughts in the grocery store. He was a _terrible father_. “I’m Stiles. Please, let me get your groceries or something.”  


Derek shook his head. “No, really. It’s fine. Just glad I was there.”  


“Yeah.” Stiles looked at the mess on the floor and his heart sank. _That,_ he would be paying for. “Me too, man. Thank you again.”  


Derek smiled again and headed back to his cart with a wave. “See you guys around.”

“See you,” Stiles said, and wanted to bash his head against the nearest shelf.  


Stiles spent the next fifteen minutes apologizing even more profusely to the store manager and agreeing to pay for all the busted cereal boxes. He trudged to the front of the store, leaving his cart behind. He’d come back tomorrow while Cody was with his dad.  


A blonde clerk with _very_ red lips and a tight buttoned shirt waved him over. Her name tag said ERICA. “Are you Stiles?”  


“Yeah.” Stiles readjusted his grip on Cody so he could dig out his wallet. “What do I owe you for the cereal?”  


“Oh, psh.” She tossed her blonde curls over her shoulder. “You’re fine. It’s already been taken care of.” She held out a business card. “I was asked to give you this.”

Stiles gaped at her, and then down at the card. _Derek Hale, Hale Landscape Designs,_ and a cell phone number. “What. What? Did he…what?”  


The clerk laughed. “He paid for the cereal. And if you’re single, he’d like you to give him a call.”  


“Oh.” Stiles put the business card in his wallet, at a loss for anything else. “I, um. Thank you?”  


She shook her head, red lips stretched in a smile. “Don’t even worry about it. Take that little cutie on home.”  


Stiles did, dazedly walking out of the store. “Well, that was an eventful night,” he said, and rubbed Cody’s back. “How are you doing, bud?”  


Cody pulled back so he could look at Stiles solemnly. “He’s not Derek.”  


Stiles stopped at the Jeep. “Wait, what?”  


“He’s _Batman_ ,” Cody said firmly.

Stiles rubbed his free hand over his face and laughed. “Batman. Okay. Well, I got Batman’s business card. Think I should call him?”

“Yes!” Cody bounced as Stiles buckled him into the back seat. “Ask if you can see the Batcave! And then ask if I can see the Batcave!”  


Stiles laughed, and felt lighter than he had all night. “I most certainly will.”  



End file.
